Springfield Armory 1903 US U.S. .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1922 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1750
LSB#: 220517EB017
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1903
Serial Number: 1246571
Year of Manufacture: 1922 (page 373 of Joe Poyer’s book, The M1903 Springfield Rifle and its Variations, 3rd Edition)
Barrel Date: March, 1922
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine
Markings: The top of the receiver is marked “U.S. / SPRINGFIELD / ARMORY / MODEL 1903 / 1246571”. The front of the barrel is marked with an “asterisk”. This is not a “Star Gauged” barrel. The top of the barrel is marked “S A / flaming bomb / 3 – 22” . The safety is marked “SAFE READY” and the magazine cutoff is marked “ON OFF”. The top of the bolt handle is marked “W L / 3” and the bottom is marked with a punch. The barrel band is marked “U”. The bayonet lug is marked “H”. The scallop for magazine cutoff is marked “R”. The underside of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof. The left side of the stock, above the trigger, is marked with an inspector’s stamp “DAL in a box”.
The sling is marked “HOYT / 1917”.
Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a pinned blade set atop a raised base and under a protective hood. The rear sight is a “U” notched blade attached to a fully adjustable sight ladder marked from “3-27”. When flipped up separate notches and an aperture on the ladder can be used for sighting.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two piece hardwood stock has a pistol grip, nosecap with bayonet lug, stacking loop, barrel band, 2 sling loops, 2 through bolts and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The buttplate shows oxidation and soiling. The wood shows several scrapes, scratches and compression marks. Most of the marks are small or light. The LOP measures 12 2/8 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good Plus overall condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The muzzle and grooves are gray. The rifling is deep. There is erosion at the muzzle and in the grooves. The bore shows an M.E. of 0.0.
Overall Condition: The barrel rear sight base, and part of the bottom metal have been treated with cold blue. This rifle retains about 92% of its current metal finish. The metal shows scrapes, scratches and areas of discoloration. The most prominent marks are the scratches on the barrel & front sight. The bolt and right side of the receiver show light operational wear. The screw heads show use. The markings are well deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The safety has been reversed. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with a leather sling. A metal oiler tube is stored in the butt.
Our Assessment: When the US Army was looking for a rifle design to replace the 1898 Krag rifle, they looked directly at the Spanish Model 1893 Mauser. This was due to the fact that the performance of the Model 1893 Mauser was far superior than that of the 1898 Krag during the Spanish-American War. The Model 1903 is basically a redesigned Mauser clone. A U.S. Patent Court eventually found that the U.S. Army had violated Mauser’s patents and required the U.S. Army to pay the German Mauser manufacturers patent royalties. Payments were stopped once WWI started. The 1903 has a strong reliable action that served the Army for over thirty years in two world wars.
This Springfield Armory 1903 was made back in 1922. We don’t know its service history but it was around for all of WWII. It looks pretty good for a 100 year old military service rifle. It has nice markings on the metal and wood that add to its history. This 1903 will add to your Military collection. Good luck.